The teacher dismissed the class, as there is no bell to ring. Everyone rushes out and straight to their lockers. Gathering what they need to take as fast as possible, then hurry off to the buses, so they may be the first ones on. But some, like Freya, do not take the bus. Their homes are not so far, so they just walk.
After Freya got her bag closed, she headed off through one of the side doors and towards the track. It was at the front of the property, next to the parking lot. The parking lot that sits in front of the school building. Standing outside of the fenced area, she waited for her friend. Honestly confused why Diana wants to meet out here, as opposed to somewhere closer to the building. But, perhaps it is due to the jocks coming out to the football field, that the track surrounds.
It was not that cold out, as there was no snow. Instead, the air almost felt warm. Warm enough to not need a coat or jacket. But then the chilly breeze pushed by. Freya held herself, blowing air out of her lungs.
A few minutes pass by and Diana appeared. She was making her way over, cutting across the asphalt. Luckily, no one was driving through.
"Why did you want to meet over here?", Freya called out.
Getting closer, Diana said, "Just, you know."
Not really knowing, but Freya had some guesses. By this point, a few of the football players were out on the field. Diana gazed at them, while talking to her best friend.
"Is this why?", Freya questioned.
"Huh?", Diana asked, briefly looking at Freya, then back at the guys.
Putting her hand out, as if to point or present something, Freya said, "This. Watching these guys play around."
"Well, maybe", spoke Diana, "Are you never interested in guys? Because you should be."
"Dating isn't a primary goal for me. I rather focus on my studies, hobbies, and spend time with the people I care about, like you."
Feeling pleasantly warm by what Freya said, but Diana went back, "But you could date someone."
"Yes, I could. But it doesn't mean I have to", Freya clarified.
Back to watching the boys, then Diana asks, "Do you think I would make a good girlfriend to Dennis? Because I think I would."
Freya turned directly at Diana and gave a soft, serious look, "Diana, he's already taken."
"Yeah, but I would make a much better girlfriend than-"
"He's. Taken."
Never in a million years would Freya think that her dear friend would ever think of such a thing. She knew where Diana was going and what she was thinking. To Freya, if someone is taken, there is no point in even thinking of being with that person. No one should cling to one person, if they are not available. Some who do that, end up resorting to trying to force the person to be with them, even if it means breaking them up with their partner. Not all will, but some will think of it, and some will actually carry out such actions.
"That whore of a girlfriend of his is awful. She's always nasty to every girl who's even near him", Diana argued.
"Because she worked hard to get his attention and to be by his side. Plus, some of her ex-friends tried hitting on him, even when she was right there", refuted Freya.
"Like that's ever an excuse..."
The two remained silent for a while. Indeed, it is not an excuse; Freya knew that. But it is an effect of a cause. People just don't do things out of nowhere. There has to be a reason behind it, even if the reason is boredom.
Diana huffed, "I would make a better girlfriend than that whore."
"You would", Freya said, patting Diana's back, "Now, should we go to Jefferson Street?"
"Sure, let's go", Diana said somberly, before taking one last look at the guys, then following Freya.
Two friends walked away from their school, heading towards the nearest shops. Jefferson Street wasn't that far, just walk about a mile down the road from Mountvalley, then take a turn towards the intersection. A few stores and places to eat are found along this street.
Earlier, back at school, Diana was telling Freya about a particular product that she wants to get. It was not available, until today. Diana has been looking forward to getting it, as it was mentioned on a fashion show and talked about in magazines. And now, it is finally on shelves, but at a particular store.
Looking at the building, Freya did not see many people lined up or crowding the place. "I thought there would be more people clamoring for it. Wasn't it highly praised and hyped up?", she asks her friend.
"Yeah, so maybe we'll get lucky!"
Diana dashed in, excited to finally get her hands on a bottle of Scarlet Secret. While Freya casually walks through the doors. As soon as she entered, Freya could hear her friend asking an employee. But the employee had to apologize, "I'm sorry. We had just ran out of that perfume yesterday."
"What? But, it wasn't suppose to be on shelves, until today! That's what I was told in December!", complained Diana, confused and heartbroken.
"I don't know who told you that, but it made its way to shelves January 1st", the employee explained.
Trying to cheer up the young student, the employee told Diana of some other products in the store. Yet, Diana was not as interested in the other products as much. Eventually, she sulked back to Freya, who stayed back and heard the two, while looking at the stack of Beach Vibes body mist. Although, Freya doesn't like the beach so much, because of the filthy water and seagulls.
Diana whined to Freya, "They don't have it."
Looking back to her friend, Freya said, "I overheard. I'm sorry about that, but it's only perfume."
"At the mall, they said it wasn't going to be in stores, until this day. Why would they lie to me?"
"Do you remember their name, what they look like?"
"It was that blonde, who went to our school a couple of years ago. I don't remember her name, but she was the one, who always broke the dress code and cheated on three guys", Diana said, able to recall the person.
"Erin Becker?", Freya questioned, "the one that threw Silvia under the bus, for getting caught trying to seduce Mr. Miller?"
Eyes lighting up, Diana spoke, "Yes! That's her!"
It is likely that Erin lied to Diana, just to toy with the younger lady, as that is what Erin always did. She was always trouble. Whenever there was any sort of issue or drama and Erin was around it, she was likely the one to start it. Graduated high school two years ago, as her parents would not allow her to drop out. Instead of college, Erin slacked around for a few months, before being kicked out of the house. Supposedly, she is now living in a shady apartment, with an old friend. Erin Becker is infamous in Luisville.
While looking at the other products, Diana propped a question, "Hey, would it be nice if you were with me, when joining the popular kids?"
"I've told you before, I have no interest in being popular", Freya answered.
There are more reasons for Freya not wanting to join the popular crowd. The majority of those people are toxic, manipulative, tend to spread gossip, are mean to anyone outside of their group, and are quite selfish. Just to join them, one would have to basically kiss ass to each person, constantly sucking up to them. You would also have to be liked by them, so if they don't like one aspect about you, there is no entry. So, you would have to forcibly change yourself, just to join their closed community. And their standards are specific.
Diana has been trying to get Freya to also join the popular crowd, but Freya has no interest in fame and others bowing down to her. She knows that Diana has been trying to join, and even to convince the mature young adult in tagging along. But the answer is always the same. A "no" from Freya, and a harsh, taunting rejection from the popular group is what Diana always gets. Fame may seem glorious, but never to Freya.
With no Scarlet Secret in the store, Diana wanted to leave. Freya has an idea of where to go next, as she has been thinking about what Abigail said during lunch. As the two walked out, Freya's voice sounded, "I want to go over to More Than Words, so we can pick out a card for Abi's grandfather."
Turning to Freya, Diana spoke, "Aw, that's very kind of you! Let's go pick the best one out together!"
With Diana beaming again, she and Freya strolled over to the card and gift shop at the corner. The outside of the building is rather standard for any commercial location, but the interior has more charm to it. Every occasion sorted in respective sections. Everything for birthdays is at the right storefront, as that is the store's biggest profit. And right behind there is the baby shower section.
"It should be over here", said Freya, moving by the front of the store.
The shelves that hold the cards are found going down the middle of the shop's floor, almost dividing the place in half. All the sympathy cards are nearest to the registers. They figured it was better for those looking for anything to express sympathy, instead of displaying it through a window, or having the section tucked all the way in the back.
The store's layout and organization is fairly similar to the one at the mall, where Freya works at. So she knows her way around this one too. As they entered the sympathy section, both she and Diana got to looking for the perfect card. Some were religious specific, some were generic or vague, and some were more particular to what one is sympathizing for. Diana was drawn towards the pretty floral ones, while Freya was focusing on the wording.
Luisville. A town large enough for a mall with twenty department stores. The town also shares Mountvalley with Rivercreek, another town, but a small one. That was decided back in the 60s, when Luisville needed a school and Rivercreek was forming into a town. Of course, Rivercreek doesn't have the same history as Luisville. Most of Diana and Freya's peers think the town was named after the person who founded it, but it was not. Back then, it was a village built by a family, who had traveled overseas. The woman of the family had lost one of her sons getting here, causing a fall into a dark abyss, before her own death occurred. Her family was affected even more, that they named the village after the son that was lost, and a clinic in the woman's honor.
As of today, Luisville is a large town with charm to it, especially in downtown, thanks to the mayor spending some money to make it look better. Downtown was plain in appearance, aside from some of the shops and bars, but the streets lacked attention. Now redone to look appealing, not a boring eyesore. And it did not just affect downtown. Other areas of Luisville are now gussied up as well.
The people of this town are about what you will see anywhere else, even in Rivercreek. But in comparison to other places, Luisville has little diversity with ethnicity, even more so with the emo and gothic styles, despite the size of the town. That is not to say that no one will see person rocking out the goth style, or even a Hispanic family, but it is not common. But over time, the town has been gaining more minorities. It may be because of the Luisville University or tourism. But if they are moving in, then why? A question that Freya has been pondering about for the past three years.
Picking up another card, Freya inspected it thoroughly, before speaking to Diana, "Hey, this one might be the one. What do you thing?"
Diana leaned over, looking at the card Freya is holding. It was a vague one, but one of those cards meant for the sender to write something, starting them off with a few cleverly chosen words. Looking up to Freya, the best friend spoke, "This is perfect."
"Alright", responded Freya, as she plucked out an envelope, "Then let's head over to the counter. I'll pay for this."
"And perhaps I'll pay for dinner, where we can think about what to write in the card", Diana cheerily said.
"Sounds great", Freya replied.
For the rest of the daylight, the two best friends hang out some more at a nearby bakery. Writing down some sweet and consoling words. But eventually, both had to return home, before it got too dark. Freya walked Diana to her home, where they parted and waved at each other, after hugging a couple of times. And then, Freya was on her way home.
Moving from the nice, cookie-cutter looking neighborhood, that Diana lives in, to the suburbs of Luisville. Where these nicer neighborhoods grew less appealing and more "fallen apart". It was not that Freya's family is poor, it was rather her mother couldn't be bothered to move into a better home. If they were without money, then Freya would not be attending school at all. Although, Freya does pay for the groceries, supplies, and occasionally part of the bills.
Closer to home, Freya walked along the cracked and uneven sidewalk. It is rather difficult to ride a scooter around here. Some of the houses were faded in color. Some have overgrown lawns. And barely any lot with a nice fence around. This is the one side of the outskirts, the disheveled one. Unlike the other suburbs, with the communities of matching houses and apartments. But this one was not those.
Freya stopped, gazing at the house with the missing shutters and broken screen door. The most pitiful house of the area. Home.
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